Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Carlos Alcaraz has saved four set points before beating Matteo Arnaldi to reach the quarter-finals of the Japan Open.
The Spanish top seed and defending champion found himself 6-2 down in a first-set tiebreak on Saturday.
But Alcaraz won six points in a row to take the opener and then broke Italian Arnaldi twice in the second set for a 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 victory.
“When you are down 6-2 in a tiebreak, you are thinking about doing something different,” Alcaraz said on court.
“Then you are trying to be better in the second set. I just tried to stay there, point after point. I changed how I played until that moment and it worked out. Just happy that I got that first set. Matteo was playing great.”
Alcaraz is aiming to become the first man to defend his Tokyo title since Pete Sampras in 1993-94.
Denis Shapovalov is the next test for the 26-time tour-level title winner after the Canadian scored a 7-5 3-6 6-4 win over Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.
In the day’s other action, Czech world No.23 Jiri Lehecka set up a clash with Adolfo Daniel Vallejo after defeating Ugo Humbert of France, 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Qualifier Vallejo enjoyed a 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 triumph against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini to become the first Paraguayan to reach the last eight at an ATP 500 event.
With AAP.
